Distinguished, luxurious and clever this 'Savile Row' button design in mother of pearl features a copious investment in semi-precious design detail, all in a bright rhodium plated 'whale tail' backed housing. The whale tail is like a toggle back but the end folds flat for easy insertion through the cuff
Art Deco fascinates me in its forward-looking effort to push natural features towards abstraction, as here, in a design of delicate radiating ribs, recalling perhaps the spreading veins of leaves, yet regular and formal in execution, with an infill of pink mother of pearl - perhaps the most limpid of the three dyed variants I use, delicately reflecting a range of subtle light effects. Elegant and opulent, like the era that inspired it.
Deco Hexagon is a trompe-loeil, semi-illusioistic piece inspired by Art Deco geometric decorative motifs which, in Athens drew inspiration form Mycenean and Hellenistic arts. It is our top of the range cufflink design for the Spring/Summer season formed from minerals at the more exotic end of the spectrum, in this case magical haematite inlaid with mother of pearl
An idea that I return to often is that of a pierced window through which one can see semi-precious material. In this case we have a sort of domed gunmetal cage, containing a hemisphere of mother of pearl. It's a kind of gem 'oubliette' - but is the stone imprisoned, trapped, or being revealed? It's quite a compelling formula - the material being just out of reach, tempting, even forbidden! But it also allows the different qualities of light as reflected from different surfaces to play together in the most direct way possible.
Picasso and Braque gave us the interesting idea of depicting a subject from more than one point of view simultaneously, fracturing the traditional pictorial space and paving the way for pure abstraction. This cufflink is comprised of hand set pieces of mysterious, cool sodalite and mother of pearl squares arranged in a diagonal formation recalling the energy and jostling planes of classic Cubism.
This design - 'Marrakesh' is suggested by the decorative traditions of Morocco - an arabesque in fact, having two dimensional part circles juxtaposed with a three dimensional round form. Overlapping, or intertwining linear elements and decorative accents surround a prominent dome in mysterious snowflake obsidian. Bright metal plays against the lustre of the stone while the lines are infilled with black enamel to give a nice contrast and definition
This design is suggested by the decorative traditions of Morocco - an arabesque in fact, having two dimensional part circles juxtaposed with a three dimensional round form. Overlapping, or intertwining linear elements and decorative accents surround a prominent mother of pearl dome. Bright metal plays against the softe lustre of the stone while the lines are infilled with black enamel to give a nice contrast and definition
Cufflinks engineered to a very high standard. Made in England, the fit and finish on these is absolutely superb. They feature my 'house Paisley' design - a specially drawn version of the iconic pattern used throughout the Simon Carter range. Which is laser etched on to real mother of pearl with state of the art precision. The superiority of manufacturing extends to the housing, the finding and the flawless surface, here in beautiful rose gold plate. The cufflinks also have satisfactory weight.
The keystone form found expression in art deco outside of its role as a supporting block in an arch. We see it in mirrors, marquetry, wall lights and furniture as a purely decorative device. With this design I have taken the simple but remarkably evocative shape and rendered it as directly as possible in semi-precious stone. Here it is shown in creamy mother of pearl
The keystone form found expression in art deco outside of its role as a supporting block in an arch. We see it in mirrors, marquetry, wall lights and furniture as a purely decorative device. With this design I have taken the simple but remarkably evocative shape and rendered it as directly as possible in semi-precious stone. Here it is shown in mysterious haematite
The keystone form found expression in art deco outside of its role as a supporting block in an arch. We see it in mirrors, marquetry, wall lights and furniture as a purely decorative device. With this design I have taken the simple but remarkably evocative shape and rendered it as directly as possible in semi-precious stone. Here it is shown in onyx
A simple, elegant, decorative piece superbly executed and finished. A stylised chrysanthemum - symbol of optimism and joy, is precision laser etched into grey mother of pear, the most iridescent and varied of the mother of pearl variants I use. Plated in on-trend rose gold a lovely synergy appears between metal and material. Advances in technology allow us to produce these types of exactingly engraved designs so the piece looks forward, celebrating innovation, as well as back to my core design concerns.
Looking a little bit like a rather cute alien invader, this is another design which explores the idea of revealing semi-precious material through a pierced or engineered window. There is also a sculptural play of contained ovals against the overall circle. And of bright polished metal against the iridescence and depth of grey mother of pearl - the most varied in hue of the mother of pearl variants I use.
Gatsby in mother of pearl is inspired by a design from the 1960s. Simple, elegant and classy, a polished 'doughnut' of solid metal encloses a dome of genuine mother of pearl. Different qualities of reflected light play off each other. The cufflink also has a nice weight to it. A direct, clean design which I am rather pleased with
The tail feathers of peacocks were very popular in motifs created by the aesthetic movement with its 'art for art's sake' priority and emphasis on beauty and sensuality. Used by designers such as William Morris and Arthur Silver, peacock themed designs became synonymous with Liberty and here I pay tribute to the enduring power of the peacock tail with its majesty and extravagance, its flexibility to be pushed towards abstraction whilst retaining its distinctiveness, in a design laser etched into real blue coloured mother of pearl.
The tail feathers of peacocks were very popular in motifs created by the aesthetic movement with its 'art for art's sake' priority and emphasis on beauty and sensuality. Used by designers such as William Morris and Arthur Silver, peacock themed designs became synonymous with Liberty and here I pay tribute to the enduring power of the peacock tail with its majesty and extravagance, its flexibility to be pushed towards abstraction whilst retaining its distinctiveness, in a design laser etched into real iridescent grey mother of pearl.
An idea that I return to often is that of a pierced window through which one can see semi-precious material. In this case we have a sort of domed cage, containing a hemisphere of blue goldstone. It's a kind of mineral 'oubliette' - but is the stone imprisoned, trapped, or being revealed? It's quite a compelling formula - the material being just out of reach, tempting, even forbidden! But it also allows the different qualities of light as reflected from different surfaces to play together in the most direct way possible.
Geometric abstraction in which the outer and inner points of the star forms are extended out to create an image of faceted depth, a trompe l'oeil with the sense of clashing perspectives, angular rising or receding structures, 'wormholes', bewildering, gravity-less chambers. Just a pure artistic idea precision screen printed in black onto real mother of pearl.
The tail feathers of peacocks were very popular in motifs created by the aesthetic movement with its 'art for art's sake' priority and emphasis on beauty and sensuality. Used by designers such as William Morris and Arthur Silver, peacock themed designs became synonymous with Liberty and here I pay tribute to the enduring power of the peacock tail with its majesty and extravagance, its flexibility to be pushed towards abstraction whilst retaining its distinctiveness, in a design laser etched into real translucent creamy mother of pearl.
Grille is a design which juxtaposes linear and angular elements, sets plain and polished surfaces against those of natural semi-precious stone and contrasts formal, even austere modes against the decorative. A trapezoidal solid of intriguing sodalite with its rich blue marbled depths is held by a kind of cage or grille in polished gold. A sculptural, modernist inspired pierced form which frames and reveals the beauty of natural material within.
Grille is a design which juxtaposes linear and angular elements, sets plain and polished surfaces against those of natural semi-precious stone and contrasts formal, even austere modes against the decorative. A trapezoidal solid of delicate mother of pearl with its cool creamy lustre is held by a kind of cage or grille in saturnine gunmetal. A sculptural, modernist inspired pierced form which frames and reveals the beauty of natural material within.
Grille is a design which juxtaposes linear and angular elements, sets plain and polished surfaces against those of natural semi-precious stone and contrasts formal, even austere modes against the decorative. A trapezoidal solid of grey mother of pearl with its surprising iridescent gleam is held by a kind of cage or grille in bright, polished metal. A modernist inspired pierced form which frames and reveals the beauty of natural material contained within.
This design suggests Victorian Metro tiles with their distinctive bevelled edges and chunkiness. Rendered in solid hand-cut mother of pearl and unostentatiously set in a simple rectangular frame. A cufflink which produces a nice diaphanous shimmer as the faceted pieces move in light
This design explores a different idea of transparency - one in which I allow the design to showcase the means of its own creation - a sort of 'box containing the sound of its own making'. I have eschewed laser precision cut pieces in favour of hand cut, hand assembled geometric patterning allowing a certain amount of freedom within an overall idea. This is a concept I have explored before, a kind of construction/deconstruction. Here the 'labyrinth' is rendered in onyx and mother of pearl.
This design explores a different idea of transparency - one in which I allow the design to showcase the means of its own creation - a sort of 'box containing the sound of its own making'. I have eschewed laser precision cut pieces in favour of hand cut, hand assembled geometric patterning allowing a certain amount of freedom within an overall idea. This is a concept I have explored before, a sort of construction/deconstruction. Here the 'labyrinth' is rendered in beautifully subtle varied tones of grey mother of pearl.
This design explores a different idea of transparency - one in which I allow the design to showcase the means of its own creation - a sort of 'box containing the sound of its own making'. I have eschewed laser precision cut pieces in favour of hand cut, hand assembled geometric patterning allowing a certain amount of freedom within an overall idea. This is a concept I have explored before, a sort of construction/deconstruction. Here the 'labyrinth' is rendered in creamy white mother of pearl.
Back to Art Deco, a design which celebrates the opulence and style of the movement with a laser cut mother of pearl swirling motif on a domed semi-precious ground, in this case subtle grey mother of pearl
Back to Art Deco, a design which celebrates the opulence and style of the movement with a laser cut mother of pearl swirling motif on a domed semi-precious ground, in this case blue mother of pearl
Back to Art Deco, a design which celebrates the opulence and style of the movement with a laser cut mother of pearl swirling motif on a domed semi-precious ground, in this case white mother of pearl
Bauhaus is inspired by the famous German school of design that combined fine art and crafts, asking the very question that so intrigues me today - where does the line of separation exist between these two worlds - design and pure or high art? Bauhaus, the cufflink, is rendered by very finely cut and shaped pieces of semi-precious stone, arranged to produce a sense of formal but rhythmic geometry, juxtaposing a jocular concentric, curving motif against stricter vertical and lateral elements.
A finial is an ornament at the apex of a roof or at the top, end, corner of an object. A decorative device. This cufflink is in the shape of a shallow, offset cone. From straight on it has perhaps the appearance of a stylised comet with a centre of mother of pearl from which sculpted 'rays' fan out. There's a nice juxtaposition of bright polished elements against the subtler lustre of mother of pearl, of round against angle, circle with oval and so on. Quite a pretty thing in the rich vein of art deco.
Geometric abstraction in which the outer and inner points of the star forms are extended out to create an image of faceted depth, a trompe l'oeil with the sense of clashing perspectives, angular rising or receding structures, 'wormholes', bewildering, gravity-less chambers. Just a pure artistic idea precision screen printed in onto blue goldstone which its appropriately celestial inner sparkle.
A minimalist, chequerboard design comprised of 36 many-toned grey mother of pearl hand cut and hand set squares set in a polished case. I love to work in a pared back aesthetic, allowing the elements to take centre stage and reveal their subtleties. The iridescent, flickering quality of mother of pearl is explored here to great effect as each piece of the material displays slightly different characteristics to those of its neighbours.
Distinguished, luxurious and clever this 'Savile Row' button design in intriguing grey mother of pearl features a copious investment in semi-precious design detail, all in a bright rhodium plated 'whale tail' backed housing. The whale tail is like a toggle back but the end folds flat for easy insertion through the cuff
Shoji - in Japanese architecture a sliding door, window or other partition consisting of a light wood or bamboo lattice covered with paper, to admit a soft, diffuse light. This design seeks to evoke the sense of elegance, minimalism, balance, proportion and artistry of 'shoji'. A gently radiused rose gold plated hexagonal housing holds three carefully shaped onyx pieces separated by thin rose gold ribs. Two symmetrical, perfectly black trapezoids flank a rectangle to give a sense of balance, poise and tranquility.
A robust, softened, domed hexagon in gold plated finish is pierced by a wheeling or radiating form, with echoes of the organic or fractal, to reveal its lode of rich blue marbled sodalite within. This is another concept which explores themes of juxtaposition and contrast - of edges against curves, planes against domes, and of revealing the beauty of natural semi-precious materials through an engineered window.
Galileo Galilei discusses in 1638 the resistance of hollow solids: "Art, and nature even more, makes use of these in thousands of operations in which robustness is increased without adding weight, as is seen in the bones of birds and in many stalks that are light and very resistant to bending and breaking”. Robert Hook discovers in 1665 that the natural cellular structure of cork is similar to the hexagonal honeybee comb. And Charles Darwin states in 1859 that "the comb of the hive-bee, as far as we can see, is absolutely perfect in economizing labour and wax”.
So in tribute to this remarkable structure here is my semi-precious honeycomb cufflink filled with lustrous natural mother of pearl in various colours.
Diagonals add a note of precision and snap to the cuff. Resembling the patterns produced by the well known children's toy but also evoking art deco mosaic with its trompe l'oeil suggestion of a third dimension. Cheerful, confident 'thin' diamond shapes in real grey and white mother of pearl, are precision cut and hand assembled into a circular housing to produce a thoroughly decorative and intriguing cufflink.
Cufflinks engineered to a very high standard. Made in England, the fit and finish on these is absolutely superb. They feature my 'house Paisley' design - a specially drawn version of the iconic pattern used throughout the Simon Carter range. Which is laser etched on to real mother of pearl with state of the art precision. The superiority of manufacturing extends to the housing, the finding and the flawless surface, here in gunmetal. The cufflinks also have satisfactory weight.
Picasso and Braque gave us the interesting idea of depicting a subject from more than one point of view simultaneously, fracturing the traditional pictorial space and paving the way for pure abstraction. This cufflink is comprised of hand set pieces of iridescent, grey and white mother of pearl squares arranged in a diagonal formation recalling the energy and jostling planes of classic Cubism.
Distinguished, luxurious and clever this 'Savile Row' button design in onyx features a copious investment in semi-precious design detail, all in a bright rhodium plated 'whale tail' backed housing. The whale tail is like a toggle back but the end folds flat for easy insertion through the cuff
Diagonals add a note of precision and snap to the cuff. Resembling the patterns produced by the well known children's toy but also evoking art deco mosaic with its trompe l'oeil suggestion of a third dimension. Cheerful, confident 'thin' diamond shapes in real onyx and mother of pearl, are precision cut and hand assembled into a circular housing to produce a thoroughly decorative and intriguing 'harlequin'.
A calavera, sugar skull, a celebratory offering for the Mexican, and other South American countries' Day of the Dead, makes for a strong, decorative graphic idea. Here I have cleverly screen printed it onto a slice of shimmering mother of pearl for a high contrast, clean and direct cufflink.
The more I look at this design the more I like it. I like its simplicity and gracefulness. Deco Fan in rose gold plated finish is a beautiful cufflink crafted from real mother of pearl with delicate ribs between in a radiating configuration. Perfect for an opulent soirée or equally at home as an every day work piece for those who appreciate elegance and subtly inspired design cues from the rich vein of art deco. This cufflink has a whale tail backing which is similar in form to a solid toggle except the rear of the finding swivels to lie flat against the shaft for easy insertion through the shirt cuff
Galileo Galilei discusses in 1638 the resistance of hollow solids: "Art, and nature even more, makes use of these in thousands of operations in which robustness is increased without adding weight, as is seen in the bones of birds and in many stalks that are light and very resistant to bending and breaking”. Robert Hook discovers in 1665 that the natural cellular structure of cork is similar to the hexagonal honeybee comb. And Charles Darwin states in 1859 that "the comb of the hive-bee, as far as we can see, is absolutely perfect in economizing labour and wax”.
So in tribute to this remarkable structure here is my semi-precious honeycomb cufflink filled with lustrous natural mother of pearl in various colours.
Cufflinks engineered to a very high standard. Made in England, the fit and finish on these is absolutely superb. They feature my 'house Paisley' design - a specially drawn version of the iconic pattern used throughout the Simon Carter range. Which is laser etched on to real mother of pearl with state of the art precision. The superiority of manufacturing extends to the housing, the finding and the flawless surface, here in genuine rhodium plate. The cufflinks also have satisfactory weight.
A best selling classic Simon Carter design. The iridescent and resilient nature of mother of pearl lends itself to creating both beautiful and functional cufflink designs. Inspired by the traditional English draughts chequerboard this cufflink is made up of 36 finely cut mother of pearl cubes in pink mother of pearl which are intricately hand set into the polished silver-tone square case
Diagonals add a note of precision and snap to the cuff. Resembling the patterns produced by the well known children's toy but also evoking art deco mosaic with its trompe l'oeil suggestion of a third dimension. Cheerful, confident 'thin' diamond shapes in real grey and white mother of pearl, are precision cut and hand assembled into a circular housing to produce a thoroughly decorative and intriguing cufflink.
Galileo Galilei discusses in 1638 the resistance of hollow solids: "Art, and nature even more, makes use of these in thousands of operations in which robustness is increased without adding weight, as is seen in the bones of birds and in many stalks that are light and very resistant to bending and breaking”. Robert Hook discovers in 1665 that the natural cellular structure of cork is similar to the hexagonal honeybee comb. And Charles Darwin states in 1859 that "the comb of the hive-bee, as far as we can see, is absolutely perfect in economizing labour and wax”.
So in tribute to this remarkable structure here is my semi-precious honeycomb cufflink filled with lustrous natural mother of pearl in various colours.
Art Deco fascinates me in its forward-looking effort to push natural features towards abstraction, as here, in a design of delicate radiating ribs, recalling perhaps the spreading veins of palm leaves, yet regular and formal in execution, with an infill of grey mother of pearl - of the three dyed variants I use, the one which displays the greatest range of iridescent effects, shimmering and refracting a range of subtle hues. An elegant and opulent cufflink, like the era that inspired it.
A robust, softened, domed hexagon in rose gold plate is pierced by a wheeling or radiating form, with echoes of the organic or fractal, to reveal its lode of Stygian onyx within. This is another concept which explores themes of juxtaposition and contrast - of edges against curves, planes against domes, and of revealing the beauty of natural semi-precious materials through an engineered window.
A robust, softened, domed hexagon in bright polished metal is pierced by a wheeling or radiating form, with echoes of the organic or fractal, to reveal its lode of mystical haematite within. This is another concept which explores themes of juxtaposition and contrast - of edges against curves, planes against domes, and of revealing the beauty of natural semi-precious materials through an engineered window.
This another design which explores the possibilities of minimalistic juxtapositions. A striated brushed finish semicircle abuts another formed from semi-precious material, in this case, rich marbled sodalite. This gives an interesting contrast in the way light plays with these very different surfaces.
A minimalist, chequerboard design comprised of 36 natural mother of pearl hand cut and hand set squares set in a polished case. I love to work in a pared back aesthetic, allowing the elements to take centre stage and reveal their subtleties. The iridescent, flickering quality of mother of pearl is explored here to great effect as each piece of the material displays slightly different characteristics to those of its neighbours.
A best selling classic Simon Carter design. The iridescent and resilient nature of mother of pearl lends itself to creating both beautiful and functional cufflink designs. Inspired by the traditional English draughts chequerboard this cufflink is made up of 36 finely cut mother of pearl cubes in onyx and mother of pearl which are intricately hand set into the polished silver-tone square case
Galileo Galilei discusses in 1638 the resistance of hollow solids: "Art, and nature even more, makes use of these in thousands of operations in which robustness is increased without adding weight, as is seen in the bones of birds and in many stalks that are light and very resistant to bending and breaking”. Robert Hook discovers in 1665 that the natural cellular structure of cork is similar to the hexagonal honeybee comb. And Charles Darwin states in 1859 that "the comb of the hive-bee, as far as we can see, is absolutely perfect in economizing labour and wax”.
So in tribute to this remarkable structure here is my semi-precious honeycomb cufflink in rose gold plated finish filled with lustrous natural mother of pearl.
Deco Hexagon is a trompe-loeil, semi-illusioistic piece inspired by Art Deco geometric decorative motifs which, in Athens drew inspiration form Mycenean and Hellenistic arts. It is our top of the range cufflink design for the Spring/Summer season formed from minerals at the more exotic end of the spectrum, in this case icy mysterious sodalite inlaid with mother of pearl
Art Deco fascinates me in its forward-looking effort to push natural features towards abstraction, as here, in a design of delicate radiating ribs, recalling perhaps the spreading veins of leaves, yet regular and formal in execution, with an infill of natural mother of pearl, delicately reflecting a range of subtle light effects. Elegant and opulent, like the era that inspired it.
Art Deco fascinates me in its forward-looking effort to push natural features towards abstraction, as here, in a design of delicate radiating ribs, recalling perhaps the spreading veins of leaves, yet regular and formal in execution, with an infill of blue mother of pearl, the coolest and most understated of the three dyed variants I use. Elegant and opulent, like the era that inspired it.
A minimalist, chequerboard design comprised of 36 blue mother of pearl hand cut and hand set squares set in a polished case. I love to work in a pared back aesthetic, allowing the elements to take centre stage and reveal their subtleties. The iridescent, flickering quality of mother of pearl is explored here to great effect as each piece of the material displays slightly different characteristics to those of its neighbours.
Shoji - in Japanese architecture a sliding door, window or other partition consisting of a light wood or bamboo lattice covered with paper, to admit a soft, diffuse light. This design seeks to evoke the sense of elegance, minimalism, balance, proportion and artistry of 'shoji'. A gently radiused gunmetal plated hexagonal housing holds three carefully shaped onyx pieces separated by thin ribs. Two symmetrical, creamy mother of pearl trapezoids flank a rectangle to give a sense of balance, poise and tranquility.
Deco Hexagon is a trompe-loeil, semi-illusioistic piece inspired by Art Deco geometric decorative motifs which, in Athens drew inspiration form Mycenean and Hellenistic arts. It is our top of the range cufflink design for the Spring/Summer season formed from minerals at the more exotic end of the spectrum, in this case a limpid, pale variety of amazonite inlaid with haematite
A robust, softened, domed hexagon in sullen gunmetal is pierced by a wheeling or radiating form, with echoes of the organic or fractal, to reveal its lode of diaphanous mother of pearl within. This is another concept which explores themes of juxtaposition and contrast - of edges against curves, planes against domes, and of revealing the beauty of natural semi-precious materials through an engineered window.
Here there’s a slight 1980’s feel to the Leopard print. This is screen printed over solid Tiger’s Eye for extra depth and luxury. Hard wearing rhodium plate finish.
A design inspired by a cufflink I found from the 1970s. One can see, I think, how the influence of rounded, worn, abraded, natural forms, hard material, polished by time, expressed in the art of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth was so influential. I like the shape's Zen-like simplicity and subtlety; calm and understated, conveying the idea of weathering and slow change. A new addition to this popular design, in radiant tigerseye />
A design inspired by a cufflink I found from the 1970s. One can see, I think, how the influence of rounded, worn, abraded, natural forms, hard material, polished by time, expressed in the art of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth was so influential. I like the shape's Zen-like simplicity and subtlety; calm and understated, conveying the idea of weathering and slow change. Genuine, mysterious sodalite in a luxurious gold housing.
Rope edge is a design device found in furniture, architecture, clothing (such as belt buckles), door handles and many other places. My classic rope edge design features a piece of malachite simply presented within this ubiquitous decorative idea. Simple, giving ample opportunity for the natural beauty of the stone with its icy marbled blues to come through to great effect
Rope edge is a design device found in furniture, architecture, clothing (such as belt buckles), door handles and many other places. My classic rope edge design features a piece of malachite simply presented within this ubiquitous decorative idea. Simple, giving ample opportunity for the natural beauty of the stone with its deep marbled greens to come through to great effect
A design inspired by a cufflink I found from the 1970s. One can see, I think, how the influence of rounded, worn, abraded, natural forms, hard material, polished by time, expressed in the art of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth was so influential. I like the shape's Zen-like simplicity and subtlety; calm and understated, conveying the idea of weathering and slow change. Genuine, svelte, profoundly black onyx in a lustrous rose gold housing.
a design inspired by a cufflink I found from the 1970s. One can see, I think, how the influence of rounded, worn, abraded, natural forms, hard material, polished by time, expressed in the art of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth was so influential. I like the shape's Zen-like simplicity and subtlety; calm and understated, conveying the idea of weathering and slow change. Genuine, versatile, iridescent mother of pearl in a highly polished housing.
Rope edge is a design device found in furniture, architecture, clothing (such as belt buckles), door handles and many other places. My classic rope edge design features a piece of snowflake obsidian simply presented within this ubiquitous decorative idea. Simple, giving ample opportunity for the natural beauty of the stone with its rather mysterious 'clouds in a dark sky' to come through to great effect